Apparatus for enriching and purifying gas



Oct. 12 1926.

G. J. HILL ET AL APPARATUS FOR ENRJICHING AND PURIFYING GAS Filed Nov.15, 1922 INVENTDRS- Patented Oct. 12, 1926.

UNITED. STATES 1,602,530 PATENT omen GEORGE J. HILL AND FRANKQT. MOORE,OF TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA.

- APPARATUS FOR ENRI CHING AND PUBIIFYING GAS.

Application filed. November 13, 1922. Serial No. 600,777.

In certain districts where gasis used for lighting and cooking purposes,it is found that at certain times there is a very poor pressure in thesupply main, and the chief object of our invention is to deviseapparatus by means of which an enriching liquid may be mixed with thegas and burned therewith in order that greater heat may be obtained andthus make up to a large extent for the low pressure in the main.

A further object in devising the apparatus is to obtain a very intimatemixture of the gas and enriching liquid in order that a very cheap gradeof the latter might be used, and which would therefore render it cheaperto use less gas and inore enriching liquid. A further objectis toarrange the apparatus so that it may be used for the purification of gasand particularly natural gas.

We attainour object by means of the constructions hereinafter describedand illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which--- I Fig.1 is avertical section through our improvedapparatus Fig. 2 a horizontalsection on the line 2-2 on Fig. '1; I s b v Fig. 3- a'view similar toFig. 1. but partly broken away showing a modification, and

Fig. 4 a sectional detail showing'the indicating float and fillinginlet.

In the drawings like-numerals of reference indicate corresponding partsin the different figures.

. Our'device comprises mainly a closed casimr'. which is formed in two.sections. the lowersection 1 forming the container for the enrichingliquid and the upper section or cover 2 supporting the mixing apparatus.The two parts willbe secured torrether in anv suitable mannerandthe'joint made tight. r A

4 In one'si'de of the upper-section 2 is an outlet 4 for the mixture. Atthe inlet side of the upper section 2 is secured the partition 5 forminga small compartment 6 in f ont of the inlet 3. At the opposite sideofthe upper section 2 is secured the partition inlet 3Iandintheonposite'sid'e thereof igthe' to the screen.

end of a tubular member 10, which member has a float 11 secured to itsother end. The hinged end of the member 10 will be'connected with thepartition 5 with a. suitable flexible material 12 so that no as can passinto the main compartment without passing through the tubular member 10.This tubular member will be provided with an. opening 13 in its lowerside adjacent the float 11, and at the side of this opening remote fromthe float is hingedly secured, a flap 14 for the purpose which willhereinafter appear; In the partition 7 in front of the outlet 4.is'formed an opening and in this opening is secured a fine gauge or screen79 The device is used as follows. The main from the meter is connectedwith the inlet 3 and the service main connected with the outlet 4. Thegas enters through the inlet 3 and is directed into the end of thetubular; member 10, down which it passes and out through the opening 13where it strikes the 1 surface of the enriching liquid in the section 1and takes up a certain amount of the latter. In order to assist thismixing of the gas and enriching liquid, the interior of the tubularmember is preferably restricted in d iameter towards-the outlet in orderto increase the speed with which the gas strikes the surface of theenriching liquid. The mixture of gas and enriching liquid then passes upthrough the screen 15 and into the compartment 8 from whence it passesthrough the outlet 4. The screen 15 is for the urpose of giving the gasand the enriching liquid which has been picked up thereby the finalintimate mixing, and also ensures a more uniform mixture at all times asany excess of enriching liquid is caught by the screen and any gas whichhas not taken up .a proper quantity of enriching liquid will pick up afurther supply asit passes through the enriching liquid clinging As theenriching liquid is used, the member 10 and float 11 move downwardly,and as the flap 14 always tends to hang straight down, the gas emergingfrom the opening 13 is always directed into the surface of the enrichingliquid. 1 w

The lower section 1 of the casing. it ,will be noted, is formed assubstantially the seg-} ment of a cylinder. This is particularlyadvantageous, when the level of the enriching Too ' wardl liquid is low,in directing gas upwardly after it has been in contact with theenriching liquid.

In order that it may be ascertained whether a fresh supply of enrichingliquid is required, I provide the float 17, the stem 16 of whichisadapted to slide through an opening 18 formed in the cover 2. In orderthat no gas may escape through the opening 13, the float 17 willnormally be forced down into the enriching liquid and held there by asuitable cap closing the opening. (See Fi .4.

is variation the partition 5 might be omitted as shown in Fig. 3 and thetubular member might be wholly or partially flexible and secureddirectly to the inlet 3.

As a further variation, the partition 7 might be dispensed withand thescreen 15 placed directly in the outlet 4. The con struction shown inFig. 1 is, however, preferable, as in the compartment 8 is alwaysavailable a supply of the mixture. The placing of the screen 15 at anangle as shown is also of advantage as any dirt striking it is not solikely to stick and clog the same.

When the apparatus is to be used for gas purifying urposes, theenriching liquid may be draine out and a suitable purifying liquidinserted instead. The apparatus will then operate in the same manner asfor enriching the as. A suitabTe inlet 19 will be provided through whicha fresh supply of enriching liqlu id maybe inserted.

or enriching purposes, we may, for example, 'use liquid methane,gasoline or any of the gas enriching oils as used at gas lants, whilefor purifying purposes the 'quid used will depend on the result to beobtained.

From vthe construction described it will be seen that we have devisedapparatus which will satisfactorily attain the objects of our inventionas set out in the specificatron.

What we claim as our invention 1s 1. An apparatus for enriching orpurify-' ing gas, the combination of a liquid containing'casing having agas inlet and a mixture outlet, said inlet and outlet being positionedabove the highest liquid level of said container; a movable tubularmember having one end adapted to receive gas entering through the inlet;said member having an opening therein adapted to direct gas downfloat orsaid member adapted to hold the openmg spaced from the surface of theliquid to permit passage at all times of the gas to the outlet withouttravel through the on to the surface of thefliquid; a

liquid; and a swinging flap secured to the movable member at the side ofsaid opening nearest the inlet, and adapted to assist in directing thegasas it leaves the opening against the surface of the liquid whilestill permitting the gas to travel to the mixture outlet without passingthrough the liquid.

2. In apparatus for enriching or purifying gas, the combination of aliquid containing casing having a gas inlet and a mixture outlet, saidinlet and outlet being positioned above the highest liquid level of saidcontainer; a partition forming a separate compartment adjacent the inletopening; a partition forming a separate compartment adjacent the outletopening, each of said partitions having an opening therein; a tubularmember hingedly connected at one end in the openin of the firstmentioned partition;

a float on the other end of said tubular mem-' ber, said member havingan opening in its under side adjacent the float, adapted to di-- .rectthe gas downwardly on to the surface of the liquid, said float beingadapted to hold the opening spaced from the surface of the liquid topermit assage at all times of gas to the outlet wit out passage throughthe liquid; and a screen in the opening of the second mentionedpartition.

3. In apparatus for enriching or purifying gas, the combination of aliquid containing casin having a gas inlet and a mixture outlet, saidinlet and outlet'being positioned above the highest liquid level of saidcon? tainer, a tubular member having one end hingedly connected andadapted to receive gas from said inlet opening; a float on the free endof said tubular member, said member having an opening in its under sideadj acent the float adapted to direct gas mainly downwardly on to thesurface of the liquid and, said float being adapted to hold the openingspaced from the surface of the liquid to permit assage at all times ofgas to the outlet wit out passage through the liquid, said tubularmember having at all times a downward inclination throughout its lengthfrom its hinged end to the float end to prevent trapping of the gas bycondensation; and aswinging flap secured to the side of said openingnearest the inlet and adapted to assist in directing the gas as itleaves the o ening against the surface of the liquid, whi e stillpermitting the 4 gas to travel to the mixture outlet without passinthrough the liquid.

igned at Toronto, this 21st day of Octo ber, 1922.

GEORGE J. HILL. FRANK J. MOORE.

